"On Grief and Reason" Response

Joseph Brodsky, in his essay On Grief and Reason, attempts to dissect works of poetry from author Robert Frost. As he notes, Frost is typically regarded as the poet of “countryside, and rural setting”. By analyzing darker elements in his work “Come In”, Brodsky explains danger hidden within the subject Frosts writes of so frequently, and the poet himself. For the remainder of this essay Brodsky focuses on “Home Burial” a different setting than the previous work but still a poem utilizing and exploring the dark elements of nature, only this time human. Through the study of “Home Burial” and “Come In” readers learn, yes, the poem may be about nature but, especially when reading Frost, one must look beyond the “frames”, note the syntax, repetition, diction, and character placement, to recognize that a staircase is simply not a staircase but a playhouse’s most promising and powerful ballet.

I think Brodsky’s theory of poetry being a ballet is very unique and justifiable. Poetry is often very descriptive, so much so that when reading or listening to works of this genre images come easily. I can see the edge of a dark wood, I notice the graveyard, and I can feel the hierarchical tension between woman and man. Ballet has a similar effect in that it takes a team to create a good production. Working together, the facial expressions of performers, costumes, lighting, sets, choreography, and chemistry between dancers portray the intended story, allowing  an audience member  to see the conflict, recognize the tension, and feel the emotions portrayed on stage.

Without Brodsky, I probably would never have come up with the ballet theory on my own, or consider a bird a poet; his ideas and explanations, although maybe far fetched at times and aided by his use of a biographical lens, have helped me in recognizing the importance in every single detail.